IN THE NEWS:
ROSENDALE, N.Y., AUGUST 15, 2013 Many of the speakers who wanted to address environmental issues regarding the proposed William Lake resort and residential development, also known as the Hudson River Valley Resort, were stopped from speaking Wednesday and told their concerns had no place in a public hearing on zoning changes.Read the article - in The Daily Freeman, by William J. Kemble.

JULY 11, 2013: NY State Department of Conservation issues their last comments on HRVR's Final Environmental Impact Statement, making it official. While improvements have been made along the way, the accepted FEIS remains a seriously flawed document. The Town of Rosendale must now address permit applications and zoning to enable the project to move forward.

JUNE 07, 2013: Save The Lakes, the Sierra Club, other local environmental organizations and experts have presented the Department of Environmental Conservation Region 3 with recommendations that document the serious inadequacies that remain in many areas of Hudson River Valley Resort's Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for its proposed resort and gated residential project at Williams Lake in Rosendale. Most of these recommendations are based on critiques of FEIS deficiencies by professional experts on issues of water and ecology. These shortcomings should cause the current project to be rejected by the DEC on SEQRA grounds.

There are serious deficiencies in the analysis of biological resources. These include wetlands, bat hibernacula and rare and endangered species such as timber rattlesnakes, the northern cricket frog and bog turtles, among others, which are likely to suffer adverse impacts from this development. Hudsonia ecologist Erik Kiviat writes, "Without protecting rare species and their habitats, no development can be considered green or sustainable".

On the treated sewage discharge course along Binnewater Road, where the adverse environmental impact is likely to be greatest, HRVR has elected not to conduct important baseline water quality and species assessments. This will make it impossible to accurately assess stream impacts in the future.

The FEIS should at least acknowledge the risk of droughts and significant water declines in Williams Lake during droughts, and comment on the possible resulting ecological impact on life in the Lake and the downstream wetlands and wells in proximity to the development.

The failure of the DEIS/FEIS to acknowledge that there is clearly a direct, well-defined, hydraulic connection between surface water runoff and the underlying limestone karst aquifer may have a large negative impact on future groundwater resources in terms of both quantity and quality in the surrounding area.

The proposed zoning amendment, the BLCPDA, is admittedly a request for spot zoning, of dubious legality.

The FEIS does not account for likely major taxpayer costs - potentially millions of dollars - for Town and County road repairs due to extensive heavy truck traffic caused by the project's construction activity, planned in phases over 10 years.

The FEIS does not present sufficient data to assess alternative plans for the project as required by SEQRA. A thorough analysis of economically feasible alternatives should be done. HRVR's position that the proposed development is the only economically feasible alternative lacks substantiation.

The applicant's Project will not enhance public access to the Williams Lake property. Fair and affordable access for hiking and swimming is not guaranteed in the FEIS.

The project described in the FEIS is not consistent with the Rosendale Comprehensive Plan.

Among the organizations and experts making these critiques are Save the Lakes, the Sierra Club, Shawangunk Ridge Biodiversity Partnership, biologists Erik Kiviat and Spider Barbour from Hudsonia Ltd., hydrologists Paul Rubin and James Gatherer, engineer John Keith and SEQRA expert David Porter.

MAY 15, 2013: Department of Environmental Conservation accepts FEIS

A Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), consisting of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) by reference and appendix with supplements to the text of the DEIS, has been accepted by the lead agency. The final EIS is available for public review at DEC's Region 3 Headquarters, 21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561-1620 during normal business hours between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Contact Brenda Griffin at (845) 256-3052 to schedule times for review. In addition, the FEIS is available for review during normal business hours at Town of Rosendale Town Hall, 424 Main Street, Rosendale NY 12472, (845) 658-3159.

The FEIS is also available online at www.WilliamsLakeProject.com/FEIS. The DEIS is now available at www.WilliamsLakeProject.com/DEIS.

Revised zoning

HRVR's proposed project includes land uses and construction practices which exceed what is permitted under current zoning. As of April 4, 2012, they have submitted three versions of an amendment to current zoning law which would designate their property as a special zoning district. Within that district, all of the use and area variances needed by the project would automatically be permitted.

Changes to zoning law must be approved by the Town Board. Although the Town Supervisor has indicated that approval of the zoning amendment cannot take place until the Environmental Quality Review process is complete, the zoning document has been provided to multiple Town Boards and Commissions for review. All have responded with requests for greater clarity in the document, as well as raising concerns specific to their area of expertise.

In mid August, 2011, DEC sent to HRVR a report critical of their DEIS findings, and suggested that the project plan be scaled back to the "conservation resort alternative". This version, as mentioned in the DEIS, would include a spa/hotel and facilities but would greatly reduce the number of residential units placed on sensitive terrain. Aside from this suggestion, DEC detailed 55 areas in which HRVR's DEIS was found lacking, from water supply and sewerage treatment to construction impacts.

Hudson River Valley Resorts submitted their draft Final Environmental Impact Statement to the DEC on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. HRVR countered the DEC's request to consider other alternatives by offering a small reduction (4-6%) in the number of residential units, leaving the overall scope and scale of the plan almost unchanged. In our estimation, the submitted FEIS did not adequately address and mitigate numerous points of concern. Consideration of many important details regarding water supply and site development were deferred to the permitting process. On June 1, 2012, the DEC - after careful study of the FEIS - informed HRVR that "revisions and additional information are necessary".

HRVR submitted initial permit applications back on July 25, 2012 and DEC responded a month later, judging the applications to be incomplete and providing guidance on which areas needed improvement.

SAVE THE LAKES MISSION STATEMENTTo protect the natural resources of all the land included in the Williams Lake property and preserve it in perpetuity for the region. We work to insure that the future of Rosendale is planned in concert with community needs and values. We research information and provide data to the public and to area decision-makers.

Are you concerned about escalating property and school taxes, overdevelopment, rapid environmental degradation, increasing traffic congestion and loss of community character?

We at Save the Lakes are convinced that Hudson River Valley Resort's plan to build a gated resort community on Rosendale's beautiful Williams Lake property would bring about all these impacts.

Save the Lakes is not against development. We view development as a good and necessary thing, when it is appropriate development.

What is inappropriate about HRVR's plan?

Please spend the time to familiarize yourself with the information provided here, and join with us in charting a prosperous future for our region - a future that finds no use for overdevelopment and security gates, and preserves our outdoor treasures as community assets.

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